Gun Owners Fight Back as New Mexico Gun Ban Falters
The New Mexico legislature is considering a combination gun ban and hyper-regulatory bill, SB17. It is covered in a previous article at Ammoland. The bill bans the future sale of most semi-automatic firearms and detachable magazines that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. Those parts of the bill are almost certainly unconstitutional.
The bill also imposes costly regulatory measures likely to drive many small dealers out of business. SB17 has passed the Senate 21 to 17, with two senators not voting and two more senators absent. The bill is sponsored by six Democratic Party Senators and Senator Peter Wirth, the Senate Majority Floor leader.
The bill passed the New Mexico House Commerce & Economic Development Committee. It is currently being heard by the House Judiciary Committee as of February 17, 2026. Firearms are popular in New Mexico. Second Amendment supporters are mounting a campaign to flood the phone lines of Judiciary Committee members and House members in general.
On X, the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR) is reporting that the bill is stalled in the House Judiciary Committee. From X:
We are receiving several reports from both people here and our members through the call center that angry staffers are slamming phones, yelling at callers, attempting and failing to shut down their lines, and generally losing their minds.
Keep. Up. The. Heat!
Call the Chief… https://t.co/yf6UIzELEb pic.twitter.com/gz158fzjXp
— National Association for Gun Rights (@gunrights) February 17, 2026
The Santa Fe New Mexican published an article stating that SB17 was “all but dead.”
After being riddled with a slew of proposed amendments in a late-night committee hearing, the most contentious gun control bill of New Mexico’s 30-day session is all but dead.
One of the lead sponsors of Senate Bill 17, Sen. Debbie O’Malley, D-Albuquerque, said Tuesday the measure is unlikely to get another hearing after the House Judiciary Committee delayed a vote early Tuesday morning.
“There’s not enough time to hear it again,” she said.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance continues to call for opposition to SB17:
Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee heard SB 17, the Governor’s tyrannical “Stop Illegal Gun Trade Act,” a measure that serves not as a safety tool but as a calculated strike against the rights of every law-abiding firearm owner in the state. It did not receive a vote, but with the 2026 legislation session expected to end on the 19th, the committee could take a vote at any time.
Immediate Action Required
It is imperative that you use the Take Action button to send an immediate message to the committee to vote “NO” on SB 17. SB 17 isn’t about safety, it’s a calculated burden on law-abiding citizens that leaves actual criminals untouched.
As noted in the Los Alamos Daily Post, the executive director of New Mexicans to Prevent Gun Violence warned that SB17 was vulnerable to court challenge and might lead to undesired consequences.
“By passing a ban this broad, we are handing the U.S. Supreme Court a perfect opportunity to deliver a definitive, nationwide ruling against state-level firearm restrictions,” Viscoli told The New Mexican last week.
“Beyond the legal risk,” she added, “the bill’s immediate effect will likely be a surge in panic buying of the exact weapons this bill is trying to limit.”
The end date for the New Mexico legislative session is February 19, 2026. SB17 has an uphill climb to be passed before the end of the session. It could happen.
AmmoLand News has been tracking SB17 from the beginning, and we will continue to follow this story closely. If there are last-minute votes, amendments, procedural moves, or public statements from lawmakers, advocacy groups, or the Governor’s office, this article will be updated accordingly.
It’s the final day of the session in New Mexico and SB17 is grinding to a halt.
But the fight isn’t over for New Mexicans until the clock hits 12:00 MST.
Don’t let up now!
The pressure you all have applied has been incredible, so let’s give it one last push! pic.twitter.com/zzFa0wcEhg
— Firearms Policy Coalition (@gunpolicy) February 19, 2026
New Mexico Legislature Debates Ban on Semi-Automatics and Magazines Over 10 Rounds
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
